Calycanthus plant named ‘SMNCAF’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calycanthus  plant named ‘SMNCAF’, characterized by its upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong lateral branches; freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance; glossy leaves; freely flowering habit; fragrant dark red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calycanthus floridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNCAF’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications noradvertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distributionoccurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of thisapplication. Any information about the claimed plant would have beenobtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from theInventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assigneeclaim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosureand/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior tothe effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Calycanthus plant,botanically known as Calycanthus floridus, commonly referred to asSweetshrub or Carolina Allspice and hereinafter referred to by the name‘SMNCAF’.

The new Calycanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new upright and freely-branchingCalycanthus plants with attractive foliage and fragrant flowers.

The new Calycanthus plant originated from an open-pollination in 2009 inGrand Haven, Mich. of an unnamed proprietary seedling selection ofCalycanthus floridus, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent withan unknown proprietary selection of Calycanthus floridus as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Calycanthus plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calycanthus plant by softwood steincuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since 2012has shown that the unique features of this new Calycanthus plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calycanthus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMNCAF’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMNCAF’ as a new and distinct Calycanthusplant:

-   -   1. Upright to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Strong lateral branches.    -   4. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy appearance.    -   5. Glossy leaves.    -   6. Freely flowering habit.    -   7. Fragrant dark red-colored flowers.    -   8. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Calycanthus differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Calycanthus aremore uniform than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Calycanthus can also be compared to plants ofCalycanthus floridus ‘Michael Lindsey’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Calycanthus differ primarily from plantsof ‘Michael Lindsey’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calycanthus have larger flowers than plants        of ‘Michael Lindsey’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Calycanthus are dark red in        color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Michael Lindsey’ are orange        red in color.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Calycanthus are more fragrant        than flowers of plants of ‘Michael Lindsey’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Calycanthus plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Calycanthus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘SMNCAF’ grown in a outdoor nursery duringthe summer.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘SMNCAF’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plantsgrown during the spring and summer in three-gallon containers in apolyethylene-covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under culturalpractices typical of commercial production. Plants were two years oldwhen the photographs and description were taken. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calycanthus floridus ‘SMNCAF’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling            selection of Calycanthus floridus, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of            Calycanthus floridus, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood stein cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots plant, summer.—About four to six            weeks at temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 27° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About three months            at temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 27° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; typically white to            brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on            substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Deciduous perennial shrub; upright            to somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; dense and bushy            appearance; moderately vigorous growth habit and rapid            growth rate.        -   Plant height.—About 66 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 59 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity: Freely branching habit with            about ten primary lateral branches developing per plant;            pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About            45 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 35° from vertical.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 199C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 12 cm.        -   Width.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Rough, glabrous; glossy.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly rough with prominent            venation, mostly glabrous with pubescence along the veins.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 144A; venation, close to 145A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation,            close to 145A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 7.5 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent.            Color, upper surface: Close to 146B. Color, lower surface:            Close to 145A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single axillary flowers            with numerous ligulate petals and sepals, petals and sepals            similar in shape and color; freely flowering habit with            about 25 flowers per plant at one time; flowers face upright            to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—Fragrant, melon-like; pleasant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower during the late            spring in Michigan.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two to three weeks on            the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to N186C.        -   Flower diameter.—About 6 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 3 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically ten arranged in            whorls. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:            Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire.            Aspect: Curling inwardly. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent; coriaceous. Color: Developing petals, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 183A. Fully developed petals, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 183A; color does not change            with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically ten arranged in            whorls. Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 1 cm.            Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Aspect: Outwardly spreading to reflexing. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; coriaceous. Color:            Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 183A.            Fully developed petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            183A; color does not change with development.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Angle: About 45° from vertical. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:            Typically 20. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color:            Close to 183B. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:            Elliptical, curled inwardly. Anther color: Close to 160B.            Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 160B. Pistils:            Quantity per flower: Typically 15. Pistil length: About 1 mm            to 2 mm. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to            183B. Stigma shape: Globose. Stigma color: Close to 200C.            Ovary color: Close to 157A.        -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have            not been observed on plants of the new Calycanthus.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Calycanthus    have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common    to Calycanthus plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calycanthus have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and to    tolerate temperatures ranging from about −32° C. to about 36° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Calycanthus plant named ‘SMNCAF’ asillustrated and described.